Apparatus for drying pipe coatings



NOV. 16, 1937. J X

APPARATUS DRYING PIPE COATINGS Filed Aug. 26, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet I have; JOHN J. 50,496

Nov. 16, 1937.

J. J. BOAX APPARATUS FOR DRYING PIPE COATINGS Filed Aug. 26, 1936 S'Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 16, 1937. J. J. BOAX APPARATUS FOR DRYING PIPE COATINGS Filed Aug. 26, 1956 s $heets-Shet 3 g I JOHN Patented Nov. 16, 1937 APPARATUS FOR DRYING PIPE COATINGS John J. Boax, McKeesport, Pa., assignor to National Tube Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application August 26, 1936, Serial No. 98,039

' 1 Claims. (01. 34-12) This invention relates to an improved apparatus for drying coatings on tubular articles.

' There has been considerable demand for pipes which have been painted or coated externally 5 with protective or preservative compounds. Or-

d inary methods of drying these coatings are generally unsatisfactory particularly when the I coating isa slow drying oil base material.'- A big I objection to the ordinary method of racking the lllboated pipes is the tendency of thecoating to run to the underside of the pipe and to congeal in globules. Another objection is that the coating is marred by contact ofthe pipe supports while the coating'is drying. 15 'An object of this invention is to provide an automatic apparatus for drying coatings smoothly and evenly ontubular articles.

" 'Other objects and advantages will be apparent as: the description. proceeds, in which:

2 Figure 1 is atop plan ,view showing the operating means of a preferred embodiment of my invention. 7

Y Figure 2 is'a side elevation partly in section.

Fig ure 3 is'a cross-sectional elevationon line- I v 3111-111 or Figure 2."

Figured is a sectional elevation on line IV--IV of Figure 2.

Figure 5' isan enlarged top plan of'an end "of apparatus. 9 Figure 6 is a detailed sectional view of the fingers which grasp the pipe. I

In the drawings, the numeral 2 designates coated pipes delivered from the conveyer 3 over skidway 4 to a roller-trough 5.

35 The drying apparatus is supported by base plates 8 and upright beams 1 on which are disposed longitudinal beams 8. Suitably mounted on said longitudinal beams 8 are transverse beams 9 adapted to support bearings l8 and I2 in which- 40 shafts I3 and M are rotatively mounted. Sprocket wheels I5 and I8 are secured to the respective shafts l3 and M for rotation therewith. The drying apparatus includes a heating chamber l1 and a cooling chamber |8- formed by walls I9 45 and 28. The inner walls l9 are secured to the upright beams I, while the outer walls 20 are secured to beams 2|. A current of heated air may be circulated through the heating chamber l1, by any suitable means, to facilitate oxidation 50 of the coating material.

Cross-beams 24 are suitably secured to said upright beams I andprovidea support for bearings 25 in which a shaft 28 is rotatively mounted. Sprocket wheels 21 and 28 are keyed to said 55 shaft 28 and connected to the upper sprocket mounted slides 3|. rotatively mounted on slides 3| are adapted to contact the inner periphery of saidlpipes 2 for the purpose of supporting them while they are ed slides 31. The pipe engaging members 38 are wheels l5 and I8 by sprocket chains 29 and 30. These. sprocket chains are adapted to rotate in the drying apparatus. i

Secured between the sprocket chains-30 are hexagonal bars 32 on which are reciprocably 5 Pipe engaging members 38 being carried by the sprocket chains through the drying apparatus. r

The slides 3| are provided with an integral" guide lug 33 adapted to travel in a guideway .34,

offsetat 35,.at the outlet side'of the drying apparatus whereby the pipe engaging members 38 are disengaged; fromthe pipes 2 prior to discharging the'pipes from the cooling chamber l8.

Secured between sprocket chains 29 are hexagonalbars 36 on which are reciprocably mountrotatively mounted on the slides 31. Keyed to veach of the pipe engaging members 38 are star wheels 39 adapted to contact arms 48 in said heating chamber. H. .The pip'e'engaging members 38 are moved into engagement with the inner periphery of said pipes, 2 by the forward movement of piston rod 4|, in aircylinder 42, actuated by a switch 43 being closed in the roller trough 5 upon the pipe 2 being delivered thereto.

A skidway 44 is provided at the discharge side of the drying apparatus for removing the pipes after the coat or coatings have been dried thereon. Adjacent the outlet of the cooling chamber l8 there is provided a piston rod 45 having an enlarged portion 46 and a lateral extension 41. The piston rod 45 is connected to a cylinder 48 and is moved forwardly simultaneously with the piston rod 4| when the switch 43 in the trough '5 is closed to affect the operating mechanism for moving the pistons 4| and 45 forwardly. At the forward end of the stroke of the piston rod 45,'the projecting portion 46 engages a switch 49 which actuates cylinders 42 and 48 to reverse the movement of the piston rods 4| and 45. On the return stroke of the piston rod 45, the lateral projection 41 engages the pipe engaging members 38 to remove said members from the pipe 2 prior to discharging the same from the chamber 8.

The piston rod 4| at approximately the end of 50 its stroke actuates a switch 50 which causes opposed cylinders 5| to-reciprocate a piston rod :52 connected thereto. An arm 53 pivotally connected to the piston rod 52 is mounted on the shaft 26 and is provided with a pawl 54' adapted to en- 5 gage a ratchetwheel 55 rigidly mounted on said shaft 25. The pawl engaging the teeth of the ratchet rotates the shaft 26 a partial revolution and advances the pipes 2 intermittently through the drying chamber l1. Each successive partial rotation oi. the shaft 25 brings a pair of opposed fingers 38 into position to grasp another pipe 2 as it comesinto position on the roller trough actuating the "switch 3! which operates the cylinders 42 and 48.

Thus, it will be seen that the present invention produces a continuous automatic operation and that the outer coated surfaces of the pipes 2 do not come in contact with anything from the time they are delivered to my improved drying apparatus until they are discharged. Also, during the intermittent travel of the pipes 2 through the drying chamber, they are given a series-oi partial rotations by, reason oi the star wheels 39 contacting the arms 40. This insures a smooth and even coating on the pipes .as globules are prevented from formingon the underside of the pipes while the coatings are being dried thereon.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment oimy invention, it will be understood that I do. notwish to be limited exactly thereto, since various m'odifications'maybe made without departing -from' the scope of my invention, as defined by the following claims.

Iolaimx r 1. An apparatus for drying pipe coatingscomprising a pipe drying" chamber, two rotatable conveyer chains in said chamber, means on said chains for gripping. the ends of coated pipes, means for imparting intermittent motion to said chains, means for intermittently rotating said pipe while being advancedithrough said drying chamber and meansfor releasing said pipe supporting means at the discharge side of said drying chamber.

prising a pipe drying chamber, means for conveying said pipe through said drying chamber, means carried by said conveying means for supporting said pipein its travel through said drying chamber, means for rotating said pipe on said conveying means during its travel through said drying chamber and means for releasing said pipe from said supporting means at the discharge side of said pipe drying chamber.

3. An apparatus for drying pipe coatings comprising a pipe drying chamber, means for conveying said pipe through said drying chamber, supporting means for said pipe carried by said conveying means, means for rotating said pipe on said supports during its travel through said drying chamber and means adapted to release said pipe from said supporting means prior to the discharge of said pipe .trom said drying chamber.

4. In an apparatus for drying coated pipe including a drying chamber, conveying and supporting means ior said pipe, means for periodically rotating said coated pipe on said supporting means during its travel through said drying chamber and means for moving said pipe .supporting means at periodic intervals so as to engage thepipe ends at the entrance end anddisengage said pipes prior to reaching the exit end 01 said drying chamber.

5. In an apparatus for drying coated pipe including a drying chamber, means for conveying said coated pipe through said drying chamber, supporting meansior said pipe positioned at each end of said conveying means and coincident to each other and means adapted to engage and disengage said p'ipe'supporting means with the opposite ends of said pipes.

6. An apparatus for drying pipe coatings comprising a vertical drying chamber. having an open bottom, means for feeding said coated pipes to said drying chamber; means-for supporting said pipes at opposite ends without touching the coated surface, means for conveying said coated pipes through said chamber, said pipe supporting means carried by said conveying means means for intermittently engaging and disengaging said pipe supporting means with the ends of said pipe forloading said pipes at one end and discharging said pipes at the other end of said drying chamber, means for introducing a current of air into said chamber for drying the coating-on said pipes, and means for intermittently rotating said pipes while being advanced through said drying chamber, the disengagement of said supporting means from the opposite ends of said pipes being prior to the discharging of said pipes from said drying chamber.

'7. An apparatus for drying pipe coatings comprising a drying chamber, a pair of spaced sprocket chains rotatably mounted within said drying chamber, cooperative means on each sprocket chain for supporting said coated pipes, means carried by said supporting means adapted to engage means carried by said drying chamber for intermittently rotating said pipes about their own axis as they pass through said drying chamber and means for simultaneously moving said cooperative means on each chain to engage the opposite ends of a pipe at the entrance side of the drying chamber and disengage the ends of a pipe prior to said pipe reaching the discharge end of said drying chamber whereby said pipes may be engaged and disengaged by said supporting meansbetween the intermittent movements of said chains.

, l r JOHN J. BOAX. 

